Common Council - Regular Meeting

Good evening. [clears throat] The time is now 6:32. I will call the February 2nd, 2026 meeting the common council of the city of belongs to order. May you everyone please stand for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you. You may be seated. The next agenda item is roll call of members the termination form. Let the record reflect that we have eight counselors present and that we do have a forum. This meeting has been properly notice in accordance with the open door law. Um copies of the agenda are located at the side of the room and for anyone wishing to speak or insist comments there is a signup sheet. Um please use your name. The next agenda item is comments of council members and special recognitions. Councilors, do we have any comments this evening? I'll go by hand. Yeah, counselor.

I would like to thank the city for the snow removal cuz last Sunday when the snow first hit, I had a family emergency at 700 p.m. and the streets of Lawrence were beautiful. I'm telling you, I was terrified. Thank you so much. I say the same thing. I would go as far as to give a round of applause.

Any other comments? I'm going to go with councelor Wells and then we'll go to councelor.

Thank you, Mr. Pro. Um at the last meeting I had brought up my conversation or in conversation about the uh uh the food trailers and uh the fact that we have an oversight on them. I also mentioned that uh I had spoken with uh the people from the Mary County Board of Health and that lady had uh that I spoken with there said that there was a uh bill uh bill 1577 that was passed uh by the Indiana State Legislature that goes into effect next year that could have a a very good impact on municipalities such as ours. I mentioned that or she had mentioned to me that she would be willing to come to uh a council meeting and address the council and explain uh bill 1577 what it entails and how it's going to affect us. And uh after that meeting, I had mentioned to the council president uh whether he would just uh uh make a slot for her at one of the upcoming meetings and he uh suggested that uh I needed to put it to a vote and that I needed a second. So, at this time, I would like to ask for a second uh that we have this lady come and explain what 1577 is and how it's going to affect the city. And with that, I would ask for a second to my motion and then up to the county president how he wants to deal with it after that.

I will second that. Council West. All right. Thank you. So, Mr. President, I would ask you uh if you want to deal with that tonight or put it on a future agenda. Is that person here? No. So, yeah, we can schedule a time to future. I didn't know. Absolutely. Y are you finished?

No, I have one other thing. uh in last year and I see it's under unfinished business. We've got proposal number three, number seven, number 10, and number one. Uh when are we going to get to these? I mean, when I mean, these were last year. We've had what three, four meetings now this year, and we're still to keep pushing these back. I mean, is there a reason we're not getting this done? So for currently those are in committee and we have not been able to schedule committee meeting due to the building being closed for the reason why we office as soon as we can find a place so we can schedule those committee meetings. Those committee meetings will have hopefully before the next meeting. So you're saying that all four of these would be in committee by between now and the next meeting those meetings. So do we have any idea when that might be? At this time we do not we are currently waiting for the the determination of how deep the repairs will be at the meeting. Um well, you know, it's uh we have very little else to do, you know, in a in a council meeting. I mean, one at a time if nothing else. But, uh anyway, I think that it would serve the council well to get get our business taken care of. So, with that, I thank you.

Thank you, council. Well, councilman.

Yeah. Okay. So, um it was a lot of talk about what they are going to put at 46 and Shaylin um at the old uh Walgreens building and uh so far they I've heard talk about a laundromat and um the other one uh Starbucks is already at the old RB site and it's already open and ready for business. I'm on top.

Uh, thank you, Mr. President. Um, good evening, fellow counselors, members of the administration, and fellow Lawrence residents. Keith Porter Jr., Nicole Good, and Alex Freddy were all US citizens executed by ICE agents in the streets of America. In each aftermath, the Trump administration supported and protected the agents, blocked local law enforcement from investigating, spread lies, and bismerched their character, and began investigations into the victims, not the shooters. Their senseless deaths, as well as the thousands more that have happened in detention centers, could have been prevented. ICE isn't happening, or ICE isn't operating as a tenable law enforcement agency. It's gone rogue, terrorizing our communities and turning our country into a fascist state. I want the residents of Lawrence to know that I don't support any ICE operations. I condemn their tactics which are brutally violent and inhumane. We are all human beings who deserve dignity and due process of the law. I took an oath to upheld uphold the Constitution and made a promise to my made a promise to do right by my neighbors. You'll see me at protests, rallies, and vigils advocating for protection of our community, especially those v vulnerable populations. I read somewhere that advocacy is love and action, and that's so so true now more than ever. Thank you for your time.

Thank you, councelor Cron. We have any other comments from the council this evening? We'll proceed with the next agenda item which is the approval and pins of the regular meeting of January 21st, 2026. Are there any questions or corrections to the minutes? I will then entertain a motion to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of January 21st. So move. Thank you counselor. Second.

Thank you counselor. Any further discussion? We'll now proceed with the vote. All those in favor, please signify by saying I. I. All those opposed signify by saying nay. All right. The next agenda. So we've been proceeding the roll call vote. Councelor Wells. I councelor that she wasn't voting. Oh, okay.

Councelor, yes. Councelor Kramer, yes. Councelor Giles, I'm sorry. Councelor Jennings. I. Councelor Freeman. Yes. Councelor Cron. Yes. Councelor Missouri. I the record reflect that we have a seven positive and one abstain. The next agenda item is signing of vouchers and approval of plans authorization of payment. Do we have a motion to approve the signing of vouchers?

May I did we have them for this? Didn't we have them at the last meeting and we didn't have them for this? Yeah, that was only because Sean, she she didn't have time to get all of those ready for the first day. So, we did midmon. [clears throat] Okay. Just for that. I I didn't see them before. Oh, yeah. I see. Yeah.

Looked at it the last meeting.

Yeah. The lads are remaining. I feel that you want to get out. Sure.

January 23. January 23rd. Maybe that's what Seeing as how uh counselors have not had a chance to review, I would entertain a motion to hold off on these until the midmon meeting. So move. Thank [snorts] you. Do I have a second? I'll second. Thank you, counselor. We'll now proceed with a vote to hold off until the midmon meeting. All those in favor, please signify by saying I. I. I all those opposed please signify by saying that still

yes let there reflect there is an 8 to 7 to um move the signing of vouchers to the midmon meeting 8 to zero. Uh next agenda item is reports of committees. Were there any reports from committees this evening? Right. Next agenda item um is unfinished business proposal number 3 2025. Madame clerk, could you please read the title of that ordinance into the record? Proposal number 3, 2025, an ordinance of the common council of the city of Lawrence, Indiana, amending title one, article 2, chapter 5 of the code of ordinances of the city of Lawrence, Indiana.

Thank you, madam clerk. Uh that item that proposal remains before the committee of the whole consideration and recommendation from the council and will be brought back when appropriate. The next agenda item is on unfinished business is proposal number 7205. Madame clerk, would you please read the title of that ordinance to the record?

Proposal number 72025 and ordinance of the common council of the city of Lawrence, Indiana adopted a code of ethics. That proposal remains uh before the committee of the whole for consideration and will be brought back to the council after a recommendation has been made. The next item uh under unfinished business is resolution number 10 2025. Madam clerk, could you please read the title that in the record? Resolution number 10, 2025, a resolution of the common council of the city of Lawrence, Indiana, amending the common council rules and procedures. That proposal remains before the committee of a whole for consideration and recommendation. We'll be back after they have had a chance to meet. Um, the last item we have is proposal number one, 2026. Madam Cler, could you please read the title of that ordinance into the record? Proposal number one, 1226, an ordinance of the common council of the city of Lawrence, Indiana, amending title one, article one, chapter 2, section 12 of the municipal code, sorry, municipal code regarding common council approval on expenditures of the professional service contract.

That proposal remains with the rules and code committee um for consideration and we'll rev back for recommendation as amen. Um Mr. Yes. Go ahead. Yes. Go ahead. Thanks, Council. Oh, I just wanted to say I um since I am chair of of code committee, I have reached out to the code. We are waiting to Yeah. to move forward with that schedule. Thank you. And council Robinson. Yeah. I wanted to um clarify uh how long these will stay before they have to come to the council for us because if we do it, there's a time on it. It's not too

possibility. I'm sorry. Yeah. Can you speak up please? What she just said? There's a time limit if you stay in committee. Is that what we just said? I believe so. I don't know. I think there was as well. Yeah. Excuse me. It must be sent to they can go back time as to how long I How long would that be?

We have to check the time. All right. The next item on the agenda is new business for which there is none. The next item on the on the agenda is comments of administration. The administration like to make comments this evening. Well, now

the place doesn't have comments. Can I ask you a question? Would you like to have questions? Hi, thank you for coming. Yeah, thank you. Thank you. Um, oh, very good night. Thank you. Had another name. Yeah, let's get it in. Thank you, sir. Thank you very [laughter] much. Can you tell us about what's going on? The reason why the council is here with the police department tonight.

Yeah. Um, so, uh, we had people complaining about the possibility of old buildings. We did a kind of inspection done, got the results back on Wednesday. I met with the company was doing remediation and stuff already started today in the basement. [clears throat] So it's just in the basement. No, they're we don't know where exactly where things at. They do going to do a they take around [clears throat] a tool measures. So the next couple days each individual right there was some incredible

uh you might check your records from way back because that building played the mold and remediated in the past actually yeah uh one of the employees said that that's part of the reason I think they did the guaranteed energy savings and replacement of the windows because they go in six, seven, eight years. And while I got

And while I got you up there, I should wait till the next if council president uh is okay with it. I would like to ask you um because it's a question that was brought to me after the last meeting from a constituent and we're obviously in 2026 there was a a deficit in the budget that is being uh taken to place the reserve fund. And at the end of last year, there was a debt and it was like three more to bring out of the fund. And the constituent had asked me, which I told him I would ask Peter or administration, is there any um any plans to cut spending to alleviate the reliance on this uh you know on the reserve fund which is just about I wouldn't have depleted by the end of this year. And is there any any any plans for trying to uh generate revenue by the city?

Well, I'm going to answer that. This is comments to the administration instead questions for administration. So, yeah, that's fine. And in fact, you know, if you could just uh you may have to give presentation later on. I think that would be best.

I'll just briefly keep in mind the additional appropriations that were passed at the end of last year. That was from four different funds. I I don't think for has all the numbers put together for reconciliation. where where we land and then for the entire budget some of the things you mentioned additional revenue one of the things was passed tax last year that's some of these things to help bring in addition very legisle mainly on property taxes Right.

Well, if at all possible, maybe a committee would be in order that uh we could uh the council be involved with the administration to try to a save money and b try to generate money. Couple members. Do you have any further further comments? Thank you all very much. We'll now move on to the next agenda item which is citizens comments. Would any citizens like to speak? If no one would like to speak, this meeting is journ.